The Doctors returns for another season and they are happy that the response to their show has been so good. They are real doctors who have their own practices around the country, and come together to tape these shows in order to educate the public about medical issues.
Dr. Travis Stork, Dr. Lisa Masterson, Dr. Jim Sears, and Dr. Andrew Ordon host the show. They put issues into perspective and are able to reach a wide audience through the TV show.
The group gathered in Pasadena, California recently to discuss their show with the Television Critics Association.
Distributing Information about Swine Flu
They were immediately questioned about the swine flu situation. Dr. Stork told the journalists, “When the swine flu came out this year, we did a show that very week because there was mass hysteria in the media. And it's important in medicine to put things in perspective, and one of the things that we did on that show, and we try to do with our show, is educate people. The swine flu is something to be aware of and concerned about, but this mass hysteria that occurred was too much, and everyone was afraid. Everyone thought this was going to be like the 1918 flu where 50 million people are going to die. And I think that's one of the things we can do on our show, is our viewers have grown to trust us, and what we like to do is give them usable information about things like the swine flu. The swine flu is going to come back.”
“And that's one of the great things about the show as well, is we're able to educate people even beyond the flu,” added Dr. Masterson. “So a lot of people started to understand what vaccines were about, and we could even go a step further. So it was a teachable moment which was, for us, in so many different ways, besides, you know, being able to give a message out to the public.”
Dr. Ordon cautioned that with so much information on the Internet, people need to be cautious and not diagnose themselves. “Be aware of your body, know your body, and look for symptoms. But when in doubt, you need to go to your doctor so he can process that information.
“Medicine isn't static,” commented Dr. Masterson. “It just changes constantly, and that's one thing we relish on our show, is to show the public the new cutting-edge technology that's out there and how medicine changes and can be controversial. Dialogue is a big thing. Not only do our viewers have a dialogue with us, but with our doctors, and one of the big things on our show is [the segment] ‘Ask Our Doctors.’ It gives us another way to encounter those questions.” On the show the doctors answer questions from viewers and audience members.
Accuracy vs. Drama
The Doctors is not a scripted drama for television. These are genuine medical professionals who want to educate the public about various procedures, issues, and illnesses. They also want to counter the medical dramas that are on TV and which often err when it comes to medical reality.
Dr. Stork stated, “I think the reason there are so many medical dramas is because medicine's fascinating. And from the perspective of an ER doctor, I can tell you there's never a dull moment, and the lives that take place inside the hospital and the decisions that are made, the illnesses that we try to take care of, they're so fascinating. Of course, when it comes to dramas there's no necessity to always get things right. So it's frustrating for me sometimes because I can appreciate how entertaining the drama is. But when the information is inaccurate, it's frustrating as a doctor, but that's not their job, and that's where we come in. I think we bridge that gap. Our show's pretty entertaining because medicine is fascinating. But when you watch our show, you know that the information you're going to get is accurate information.”
When they are not taping the show, these professionals go back to their own careers. Doing The Doctors has definitely increased their recognition factor.
“Well, certainly people come in and recognize me from The Doctors, which is something in the ER that I found to be beneficial.” Dr. Stork said. “Because when you come to the ER, you're anxious, you're nervous. And if people watch The Doctors, I'm a familiar face, and it does help put them at ease. [But], of course, if you come into the ER after a trauma, you're having a heart attack, you don't care. You just want to be taken care of, and that's the focus.
And Dr. Sears added, “I get the same thing in my office with my kids. They come in and say, ‘Hey, Dr. Jim, I saw you on TV this morning,’ and it gives them an extra bond. It's really neat.”
The Doctors is a one hour daytime talk show. They just started taping their second season.
The Doctors
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